|
|
| Armenia |  Review on October 16, 2015: |
nspyraishn
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
My fiancee had her interview on September 17, 2015. They asked many questions related to our relationship, including
1. My career/education,
2. Her own education and career,
3. About my family and siblings,
4. How many months we spent together,
5. How long we have known each other,
6. When we met and under what circumstances,
7. What my parents think of her and her marriage,
8. What she loves about me, when we will have the wedding and
9. what are our plans for the wedding
10. What are our shared interests and beliefs
Well, so many questions, but basically the kind of questions Visa Journey guides and resources prepare you for, so I definitely recommend VJ and give props to them for helping us to get through the interview smoothly.
So after the interview was over, the consulate officer said that we had not submitted enough photos as proof of the relationship, and not enough sightseeing photos. I found this to be strange and insulting, considering we had submitted over 1 million Facebook messages, hundreds of Google Hangouts call logs, over $5,000 in moneygram receipts (about 7-8 different transactions total), and 25 photos in several different locations including the famous "singing springs" of Downtown Yerevan, the ancient historical site of the Surb Hovhannes cathedral, and the Shaki waterfalls, the highest in all of Armenia. We included several photos of us kissing, holding hands, embracing each other, and with her family. So not having enough proof of a relationship in the photos seemed ridiculous to both of us, especially considering how many people have gotten visas approved with only 4-5 photographs which are not even intimate.
So they asked us to submit additional photos, and so she asked her family and friends and submitted 72 photos in total, from about 10 different locations. She turned them in to the embassy the next day in a sealed envelope with her passport as they instructed, and even though the K1 is classified as a non-immigrant visa, they told her that she should put in the immigrant visa folder. So she did as instructed. She was told that she would get a call from them when her visa was approved and processed, and we have been waiting for a response since then
Today, after her not hearing anything from them for 4 weeks, I decided to Skype call them @usvisaarmenia. My call was received by a very helpful and friendly Armenian man named Arsen. He was very useful in answering all my questions:
1. Why is it that they said to put in the immigrant box instead of non-immigrant:
answer: Armenia treats as immigrant even though it is technically non-immigrant because it is in-between and the purpose of the visa is to immigrate.
2. how long will it take for the visa approval to be processed?
answer: The average wait time for visa approval processing is 1-2 months. If it takes longer the fiancee can request her visa back if she needs it for something
(Projected approval date: from October 17- November 17, on average)
3. Why did they request more than 25 photos, and is 72 photos enough?
answer: It is just standard procedure to sometimes ask for more photos before approval, nothing to worry about. It is extremely unlikely to be rejected for this reason, if that many photos were given
4. I asked for his name for reference, and he said "Arsen", but it was against policy to give last names.
I am looking forward to the visa being approved, and hope the administrative processing time will not take longer than average. I hope this review helps K1 applications to know what to expect, particularly for the American Embassy of Armenia.
| |
|
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #18064